Are Ya' CHICK-in? ;0)

We are busily preparing for our biggest show of the year...

The FARM CHICKS Antique Show

It's this coming Saturday & Sunday in Spokane, Wa.

Over 200 Vendors and 5 thousand shoppers will be there!

If you are going to be one of them, 

please do stop by our RETREAT booth

in Bay One - spaces 176 & 177

and say hello!

Just Keep Growing...

I swear I am not turning this into a gardening blog ;0)

Sometime last summer, I posted a metaphor about this flower.

I just happened to find the post via the 'Linked Within' widget, 

and as I read it, it just seemed to say 'Share Me'. 

Some days, we all just need a reminder.

So, without further ado...

please read the original post here.

Would A Rose By Any Other Name Survive Transplanting?

I need some gardening advice!!!

This is a pink tearose that was here on our property when we moved in.

I don't think she's heirloom - possibly a David Austen, though. No tags.

She's large and was 'relatively' healthy, 

but was in a bad location right next to the driveway:

(The left side of that bundle of sticks in the left part of the photo is her)

We've done a great deal of yardwork, removing ALL of the evergreens you see above

and relocating the lavender and rose plants to more 'enjoyable' areas.

Miss Pink TeaRose now lives here, 

on the left side of the steps to the front porch. 

I envision her blooming all summer, 

the delicate scent wafting in the windows 

to the living room, entry hall, and my office.

When I transplanted her, I dug a HUGE deep hole,

mounded the soil in the center to support her crown  and roots,

added some plant food, and then left some of the soil from her OLD location

on her roots when transplanting her.

There's a trough around her base to hold the water over her roots,

and I only water there (not on the stems & leaves).

See? I DID learn something while working at Molbaks! ;0)

But she's not cooperating. :0(

All of the new leaves on her stems have wilted and dried UP. uh oh.

SO I took the clippers and judiciously trimmed her back,
careful to cut the canes right 

(straight up & down, to minimize water sitting on the cut ends, causing mold)

and removing all of the 'suckers'. 

The canes are still green inside and flexible.

She's not DEAD dead... just appears to be mostly dead.

I deep water her once a day, if it's not raining.

What else can I do?

I really want to save her.

(The other rose bush that I moved is doing GREAT!)

If you have advice for me, please share...

Thanks!

The One In Which He Grills

We've been blessed with sunshine a few days in the past week,

and that means Mr. Wonderful fired up the grill. He's been waitin'.....

Yes, he has a personalized BRANDING IRON for his grillwork. ;0)

He actually has every tool known to man for grilling.

And three... four... no, FIVE.... grills. BBQ's. Whatever ya call 'em.

So while he was making the food wonderful, 

I did what I do and pulled some things together on the table. 

And opened the wine, natch.

And then it all came together and was fabulous!

We actually stopped working, sat down, 

and had a civilized meal together, 

enjoying all of the progress we've made toward our next show.

Things seem to work that way around here, in life and in business:

He does what he does, I do what I do, and when we put them together,

it's exactly the way it's supposed to be. 

As my guy would say, quoting Tony,

"Every day, in every way, it just keeps getting better!"

Just Beachy!

We took a few hours 'off' on Thursday, 

and spent them down at our beach with our grandson & daughter.

Nothing better than a relaxing day walking in the sand...

 

checking out the sea huts ('forts')...

 And to end a perfect afternoon...

Treasures from the sea, found washed up at the boat dock:

I have great plans for this one!

You're Invited!

What: A one-day event with fabulous vintage-inspired decor treasures from

Retreat, Seabold Vintage Market, Sisters Antiques, Rose~Marie, Finch & Willow

When: Saturday May 14 9 AM to 3 PM

Where: Retreat Farm, Camano Island, Washington

Click for Map & Directions to Petite Retreat Spring Boutique Store Encore!

Petite Retreat Reprise.... 'Encore'!

 I've been a bad blogger lately!

There's been a woeful lack of posts here on my personal blog.

It's because we've been SO busy preparing 

our little seasonal store for its debut...

and last Friday & Saturday, we opened the doors:

 More photos are available on our Petite Retreat Facebook Page.

While many supportive friends, customers, and new neighbors came out,

Mother Nature was NOT in a cooperative mood - 

the buckets of rain falling from the sky kept many people away.

So, we're outwitting Mother Nature by having an ENCORE

and opening up our store again!

One day only!

Saturday May 14th

9 AM to 3 PM

Camano Island, Washington

http://petiteretreatblogspot.com

for maps, driving directions, and more info

On the same day, 

Poppyseeds is hosting their Flea Market

and the Camano Arts Association is

extending their Artist Studio Tour

We hope to see you here!

Tiptoe Through the Tulips....

So am I the only old person in the world who remembers 'Tiny Tim'
singing the song 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips'
in his weird falsetto voice? He was creepy.
[I think he may be Tim Burton's Dad. Think about it!]

On Saturday, we took Bob's parents up to the Skagit Valley

so they could see the acres and acres of blooming tulips.

 Confession: It is the first time WE have seen them, too ;0)

Every March, for seventeen years now, we've gone to see the daffodils blooming,

but we always avoid the tulip festival (all month in April) 

because we've heard it's ridiculously crowded then. Not fun.

 Maybe it's due to the lousy weather we've had, 

but the tulip bloom was late this year.

We were kind of amazed that there was no crowd at all 

on the final weekend of the festival. 

No clogged country roads, and the parking lots had plenty of spaces.

These photos are not retouched, digitally enhanced, or altered in any way.

This is how BRIGHT and VIBRANT the hundreds of acres of tulips actually ARE!

Amazing. Bob's parents liked it. I loved it!

But not as  much as the daffodils ;0)

We're busy preparing our seasonal store for its opening on Friday - 

check it out here!